A new Mother's love letter to her daughter

Tag Archives: 12 days of Christmas

What a whirlwind few months we’ve had at the Milburn Manor! One of the most exciting and memorable days was, of course, Lila’s first birthday! When we found out her birthday was 12-12-11 we knew that her first big celebration would fall on a day almost as special as she is, 12-12-12! With a few months of planning, and great help from Lila’s biggest fans, we pulled off a fun 12 Days of Christmas themed party, and even had a special guest stop by!

Every verse of the 12 Days of Christmas was represented…

Here’s 12 Drummers Drumming (favors for all the boy guests), 10 Lords a Leaping (crowns worn by the grandfathers of course!) and 4 Calling Birds (Angry Bird crackers who are trying to pick up some ladies)

It was an amazing day with so many people surrounding Lila who love her! We couldn’t ask for anything more!

And then, just two weeks later, it was time for Lila’s second Christmas. But when you count my still drugged-out haze after having a C-section the year before, I kind of count this as my first as a Momma.

Definitely the most memorable gift of all, after months of teething, Lila’s first tooth popped through on Christmas day, with four more to follow on its heels. Finally, an explanation for all the gnawing!

Just a few days later, we had a scare with my Daddy’s heart, when he suffered a heart attack. We were again reminded of how each day is a precious gift. When you have a child, your parents’ love becomes even more important. For their advice, support and most importantly friendship. Suddenly you realize how hard it was to raise another human being, so you’re that much more grateful for the people who didn’t give up on you along the way. Lila’s “Paw” may still be on the mend, but we are with him every step of the way, even in our fashion choices 🙂

Lila is growing stronger every day! Learning to stand, which she loves…

still working on crawling, which she tries the most when she thinks no one is watching…

But the biggest change of all, if it’s possible, our little girl’s personality is getting even sweeter! I’m amazed by her each day and am so thankful to be her mother.

I’m constantly reminded that even though you don’t get to pick the road your life follows, the best joys often come from the places you once feared. The ones you now can’t imagine your life without…